Stop mechanism for towel dispensing apparatus



Feb. 13, 1940. Y

A. C. GRUNWALD STOP MECHANISM FOR TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Original Filed March l0. 1937 4 -r Tale/VE YJ Patented Feb. 13, 1940.

STOP MECHANISM FOR TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Albert C. Grunwald, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Steiner Sales Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation o! Utah Application March 10, 1937, Serial No. 130,119

' Renewed December 9, 1939 7Claims.

d of timestop mechanism shown in co-pending application 15,271 of Rudolph G. Birr, although it is to be understood that the invention can be applied to other types of mechanism in which it is necessary to back off one stop in order that another stop may be free for independent movement. The present invention may be applied to any device in which withdrawal of the towel or the movement of a measuring roll is to be controlled either with or without a timer.

Features of the invention include particularly the structure for positively obtaining backofl of one of the stop elements. l

Objects, features and advantages will be set forth in the description of the drawing forming a part of this application and in the drawing Figure l is a vertical section through a towel cabinet illustrating the stop mechanism, and showing the same positioned as at the end of a timing period and conditioned for towel withdrawal;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the mechanism oi Figure l showing said mechanism positioned as at the beginning of a timing period;

Figure 3 is a view showing the mechanism po- 30 sitioned as during towel Withdrawal and as before the stops are engaged; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1 and looking upwardly. l

Referring rst to Figure 1 the numeral I generally indicates the outer casing of a sheet metal cabinet, provided with a door 2 and having the usual dispensing mechanism, for this type of apparatus, including various rolls journaled in swing plates 3 and including a measuring roll 4,

40 a pinch roll 5 movable in the usual slot 6, a takeup roll 1, and a core 8 upon which the soiled toweling is wound and which has trunnions 9 moving in vertical slots I0. A

The supply towel roll is indicated at I2 and the toweling passes upwardly as shown in dotted lines around the front side of the measuring roll 4 and then around the pinch roll 5 then downwardly from the forward side of the roll to a point below the bottom of the cabinet to form a loop I5, thence upwardly into the cabinet and around a smoothing device indicated at Isthen around a rod I'I and then to thecore 3.

The above described mechanism formsno part of the present invention except in so far as part of it constitutes means by which the measuring roll 4 is rotated.

The stop mechanism is controlled by and controls the roll 4 to only permit a predetermined length of toweling to be dispensed. The roll 4r has a shaft 20 which extends outwardly through the plate 3 and has attached thereto an arm 2|. 'I'his stop arm cooperates with a slide stop plate 22 which moves in a vertical slot 23 of the swing lplate 3. The platel 22 is L-shaped in horizontal section as shown in Figure 4 with the part 25 lying at the inner side of the plate 3 and between plate 3 and a plate 26. This plate 22 is mechanically raised to stop position and is thereafter released to drop by gravity to non-stop position. The particular object of this invention is to provide means for assuring freedom of movement of the slide 22 to its lower or non-stop position. This is particularly desirable with the type of dash-pot timer which is used. The timer is indicated at 30 and is of the same type shown in the aforementioned application. It has a'stem 3l which is connected as at 32 to the stop plate 22 and has a valve adjusting member 33 for controlling the speed oi' downward movement of the stem 3|., which is gravity moved by its own weight and that of the plate 22.

The slide is brought to stop position by means Vof'a link 35 pivotally connected by one end as at 33 to a projection 31 of the stop 22. The link has an elongated slot 39 through which passes a pin 40 which enters the arm 2l. traverses the slot. This link constitutes means whereby one stop controls the other to move the former to stop position and thereafter release it for independent movement. As the user pulls on the toweling, roll 4 is operated and stop arm 2i rotates in clockwise direction from its position in Figure 1 to the position of Figure 2. When the stop arm has accomplished about half of its rotative movement, see Figure 3, the slide 22 is at, its upper limit or in stop position. It will be seen that the slide has been so moved as the result of engagement of the pin 40 with the upper end of the slot of the link 35. As the armv continues its motion from the position in Figure 3 to that of Figure 2, the pin lmerelyslides in the slot to the position shown in Figure 2. The timer stem and the link are now free to descend under control of the timer. Figure 2 shows the position of the parts before, the arm 2| has been backed ofl and therefore represents the position of the parts as while the user continues to pull on the toweling.

To separate the arm from the plate and thus This pin loosely assure unrestrained motion of the plate 22 to non-stop position, there is detachably connected to the pin 40 by one end a link or plate 42. This link is attached by its outer end to one end of a spring 43, the other end of the spring vbeing attached at 44 to the plate 3. The backoif motion which involves reverse motion of theroll 4, is limited by a latch lever indicated at 50 and pivoted as at 5l to the plate 3. The outer part of the lever is weighted by enlargement as at 52 and its downward rotation is limited by pin 53. As the arm 2| rotates from its position in Figure 1 to that in Figure 2 the lower end 58 of the arm engages the surface 51 of the lever lili and displaces the lever to the dotted line position shown and is then disengaged from the llever to assume the position of Figure 2, whereupon the lever automatically moves to latch or stop limit position. As soon as the pull on the toweling ceases the spring 43 acts to move the arm 2l to the position shown in Figure l, and against the outer end of lever 50. The down travel of the slide 22 now begins and eventually the slide assumes the position shown in Figure 1.

The latch provides means for permitting but limiting the reverse motion of the rst stop and the spring makes the backoff motion positive. The lever and arm are in the same plane and lie on the same side of the plate 3 and on the outside of the plate, `and are easily accessible when the plates 3 are swung. It is understood that the plates 3 pivot about rod t@ and the whole mechan'sm can be swung outwardly for servicing. When so swung the assembly is held by means of a latch arm 3i having a shoulder 32 engageable with the front edge 63 of the cabinet.

I claim as my invention:

1. A towel dispensing mechanism having, a measuring roll, a stop mechanism controlled by and controlling the roll, including two stops, a rst operated by the roll and a second independently automatically movable to non-stop position, means by which the first stop forcibly moves the second to stop position and releases it, automatic means for reversing the roll following engagement of the stops, and means cooperable with the first stop for limiting such reversal.

2. A towel dispensing apparatus having, a measuring roll, a stop arm on the roll, a spring connecting with the arm for reversely moving the roll, a second stop with which the arm is engageable and which is adapted to move from stop position by gravity, means-by which the arm moves the second stop into stop position and thereafter releases it for independent movement to non-stop position, and means for limiting reverse movement of the arm under the action of said spring after engagement of the stops.

3. A towel dispensing mechanism having, a measuring roll having a stop arm, a stop movable into the path of the arm and independently .movable out of said path, means by which thel arm moves the stop into stop position and thereafter releases it for independent movement to non-stop position, including a link and a pin pivotally connecting the link to the arm, means for limiting reverse motion of the arm away from stop position, and a spring for reversely moving thearm away from stop position, said spring being connected to said pin.

4. In combination with a measuring roll having, a rst stop, a second stop movable into the path of the rst stop. and adapted to be moved by gravity to non-stop position, means by which the first stop moves the second into stop position and thereafter releases it to movement to non-stop position, means forcibly acting on the first stop to reversely move it after it has engaged the second, and means for limiting such reverse movement, including a pivoted member which is moved away from limiting position by the iirst stop and which automatically moves to limiting position after engagement of the iirst with the second stop.

5. A towel dispensing apparatus having rst means which moves as the towel is dispensed, means for stopping motion of the first means to limit the amount of dispensing, including rst and second movable stops the iirst of which is operated by said first means, means by which the rst stop moves the second into stopping relation with it and thereafter releases the second stop for movement away from stop position, means for automatically moving the iirst'stop away from the second immediately following engagement of the stops, and means for hunting said movement.

6. A dispensing apparatus for sheet material having first means which moves as the sheet material is dispensed, means for stopping the motion of the first means to limit the amount of dispensing, including first and second movable stops, the first of which is operated by said first means, means by which the first stop moves the second into stopping relation with it and thereafter releases the second stop for movement away from stop position, means for automatically moving the first stop away from the second immediately following engagement of the stops, and a rock-lever adapted to automatically return to and which is initially in a position to cooperate with the first stop for limiting such reversal and which is engaged by said first stop as said stop moves to stopping position, to be moved from said initial position and released for return to said initial position.

'1. A towel dispensing mechanism having a measuring roll, a stop mechanism operated by and controlling the roll, including a first stop operated by the roll and a second stop independently automatically movable to non-stop position, means by which the rst stop forcibly moves the second to stop position and thereafter releases it, automatic means for reversing the roll following engagement of the stops, and a rock-lever adapted to automatically return to and initially be in a position to cooperate with means on the roll for limiting such reversal, and engageable by said last mentioned means as 'said first stop moves to stopping position to move said lever from said initial position and release said lever v for return to said initial position.

ALBERT C. GRUNWALD. 

